Tips for a new Stella Rider

[Crazy88s]

We Annie (annoythemom) and I just picked up a Stella it is awesome, Cant wait to ride it.....the clutch cabel needs adjusted other then that........its in great shape. only 5 k miles and its a 08. any tips for a new stella ride would be great.

[BuddyRaton]

Driven a manual shift car before? If so learning to shift will be easy.

Braking takes some practice so start slow until you get used to them.

Don't down shift to use engine braking, even with the oil injector it's tough on the motor.

I'm sure you'll get many more tips. Keep us posted on your progress!

[Crazy88s]

So it's day 2, I decided to get a new clutch cable (thought it would be a good idea, I have no clue when it was replaced last. I did not post that the Stella has about 4900 miles it runs solid, the good thing is it has most of the chrome accessories, Cowl's, Foot pegs, upgraded pipe ext, Hopefully the scooter will be done tomorrow.

[jimmbomb]

sounds great crazy88's ... I used to have an 08 olive drab.one too!! you'll love it! have fun!

[kitty]

Tomorrow morning I'm taking mine out for the first time! Luckily I've only ever driven stick so hopefully I'll figure out the shifting quickly. Keep telling myself, it's just like borrowing someone's car and getting used to a different clutch, no big deal! My salesman had a lot of faith in me, between only driving stick and doing lots of research before buying, I should be good.

[BuddyRaton]

Tomorrow morning I'm taking mine out for the first time! Luckily I've only ever driven stick so hopefully I'll figure out the shifting quickly. Keep telling myself, it's just like borrowing someone's car and getting used to a different clutch, no big deal! My salesman had a lot of faith in me, between only driving stick and doing lots of research before buying, I should be good.

If you've driven stick you'll be fine. Just be ready for the clunky noises when you shift. The first thought is..."what the heck was that!". Don't worry...it's normal.

[kitty]

If you've driven stick you'll be fine. Just be ready for the clunky noises when you shift. The first thought is..."what the heck was that!". Don't worry...it's normal.

Lol yes the clunks spooked me a little! I wondered if I hadn't depressed the clutch enough. Shifting was a piece of cake. I learned to drive on a 1988 VW Fox, no tachometer, so I've never relied on one in any of my other cars, I've always shifted based on sound, which is a big help on the Stella. I stalled countless times leaving a stop, but once going shifting was just second nature. A few times I came to a stop without downshifting and couldn't get it back to first. I texted my friend (motorcycle rider) and he told me always downshift because motorcycle gears are sequential.

So I think I did pretty good! Just need to spend some more time in the backroads stopping and going and getting used to that catch point so I can overcome that stalling issue.

Stopped for a break at the beach and an older couple walking had to come check it out. The woman asked if it was an old Vespa, I said nope brand new, 17 miles on her! She loved the color, as do I, the powder blue is just so stinkin' cute.

[Lokky]

Kitty, if you ever find yourself unable to get into first gear from either second or neutral you can do one of two things:
1. roll the bike forward a smidge
2. give a smidge of throttle as you keep the clutch pulled in

These will usually be enough to move the gears into a position you can downshift from!

[JohnKiniston]

Keep an eye on the oil level in your sight glass, If you see a bubble at the top it's time to refill. Don't ever run the bike out of oil.

If your glove box door rattles you can put some little felt dots between the door and the glove box to quiet it down.

Keep an eye on your tire pressures, All three. It sucks to have two flat tires when you go to put your spare on.

[kitty]

Trying not to take over this thread, hoping that this info is helping others!

Question: any thoughts/tips on not stalling?! I feel like I'm either stalling or popping wheelies, and forget starting at a corner I'm turning on, it just wants to get away from me.

I've driven stick since I learned to drive, I've taught a few people to drive stick easily, and mainly the method I use is letting out the clutch super slowly until it goes. It seems you can't do this on Stella, or perhaps motorcycles in general even, because regardless of how slow I go, it just stalls. Is looking at this like driving a stick car hindering me more than helping? Perhaps I should be looking at it like a completely new experience so I'm not trying to use info that's not actually helping me. Am I overthinking it to the point of failure? Haha.

Any thoughts on how to handle this? Or is it really just a matter of practice practice practice until I naturally find the sweet spot? It's to the point that I'm a bit spooked to go out again, I live in a pretty busy area so finding a quiet car-free zone is tough.

Maybe I'm jumping ship too soon, I've only put about ten miles on her so far. I guess I expected it to be much more natural and be adjusted quickly. But still, I want to figure out what it is that I'm missing so I can make that effortless exit from a stop sign without having to pull over and wave people past me.

[Scalpel]

Any thoughts on how to handle this? Or is it really just a matter of practice practice practice until I naturally find the sweet spot?

Practice helps a lot. Find a big parking lot to practice in when the business is closed. Schools on the weekends or stores after hours are good.

Another thing that might be causing you trouble is that you may be letting out the clutch while maintaining a constant throttle position. As the clutch engages, the engine will start to slow down, and you have to slowly open up the throttle to compensate. If you don't, you stall. A lot of cars are setup to start rolling if you just ease out the clutch while idling, but almost all motorcycles need some extra throttle to keep from stalling out.

Of course, if you start with the revs too high, or let out the clutch to fast, you'll either stall violently, or start to take off too fast. Just remember that pulling in the clutch lever can help in both cases. If you stall, pulling in the clutch will let the tires roll freely and keep the bike from lurching violently to a stop. If you start to wheelie, pulling in the clutch will drop the front end and bring you down to a safe speed quickly.

To quote my off-road instructor from a couple weeks ago: "The throttle does not control the speed of the bike. That is a myth! The clutch is what actually controls the speed of the bike. The throttle controls the speed of the engine." When he said that, it was sort of an eye-opener for me. It seems obvious, but it wasn't until he articulated it that I really made that leap of understanding.

So in summary, when you go to take off from the light, you're really controlling two mostly separate operations: your left hand is slowly applying power to the wheels to get you rolling, while your right hand is adjusting the engine speed to ensure that it runs smoothly. It sounds more complicated than it is, and with practice it will be something you do without thinking. Go find a parking lot to practice in, spend a couple hours just doing starts and stops, and in a short while you'll be pulling those wheelies on purpose.

[kitty]

To quote my off-road instructor from a couple weeks ago: "The throttle does not control the speed of the bike. That is a myth! The clutch is what actually controls the speed of the bike. The throttle controls the speed of the engine." When he said that, it was sort of an eye-opener for me. It seems obvious, but it wasn't until he articulated it that I really made that leap of understanding.

This will be my mantra next time I go out! Thank you!

[viney266]

Maybe I'm jumping ship too soon, I've only put about ten miles on her so far. I guess I expected it to be much more natural and be adjusted quickly. But still, I want to figure out what it is that I'm missing so I can make that effortless exit from a stop sign without having to pull over and wave people past me.

....a few things that might help.

1.) if yours is a new stella they are rough the first couple hundred miles until all the controls wear in ...I know thatss not what you want to hear, but the bike will get smoother, also if the shop does a good job lubing and greasing things it helps a good bit.

2.) Bike has less torque than the car so you have to rev the engine a bit more to go. It will help if you ignore the shifting at first. JUST focus on the clutch. Then focus on the shifting AFTER you are moving...It will come. As above, find a big lot and practice. Also, as I'm sure you know, get out of 1st. Its much more sensitive to throttle inputs than the other gears.

3.) when you get sick of shifting...Go for a nice long country road ride, where you don't shift much and can enjoy Stella. THAT will lift your spirits and get you ready for more practice.

Keeo riding!

[annoythemom]

HI All,
Just wanted to let everyone know,
That we finally got state approval to get our Stella (Olive OYL)
Back on the road, She Was not damaged bad,
Just a headlight rim,led light,
Salvage title to road worthy involves several steps,
1.Replace parts
2. keep a log and receipts.
3.Make appoitment to have your ride inspected.
4, Get inspection from cetrfied DOT inspector,
in this case a local sheriff,fills out the form,
and them you have to get stamped somewhere on the scoots metal
body,(rebuilt from salvage.
5. Go to dmv and get tags,
and with the Title, they attach a rebuilt from salvage disclosure, if you even want to resell the Stella, you must disclose that she was rebuilt from salvage, no matter,how minor the damage.
6. Attach plates,
7. Ride away happy.
Also during this whole process, you must transport, your stella, in a trailer, or whatever you have to take her to her appoitments.
All this work worth it
YES,YES,YES,

[jungle tim]

Not sure if anyone has already mentioned it but - Don't Panic!!

I had a tough time getting the hang of my stella. Living in San Francisco i watched the lights turn Green 3 times in traffic as i was learning to hill start. Lots of deep breaths (and swearing!)

The same goes for the front break, its your most powerful friend. But even when a car pulls out, don't snatch at it. You don't want to loose the front wheel.

[natastical]

I constantly need to rev a little at traffic lights when i've stopped, in my head i'm burning gas and seeming like a T bird. But the fact is, if i let the rev drop below a certain level my bike stalls.

Does this happen to anyone else? Will they fix it when it take it in for my 500 mile service?

[Maximus53]

I constantly need to rev a little at traffic lights when i've stopped, in my head i'm burning gas and seeming like a T bird. But the fact is, if i let the rev drop below a certain level my bike stalls.

Does this happen to anyone else? Will they fix it when it take it in for my 500 mile service?

Mine will do this before the engine is warmed up if i push in the choke to early. Once the bike is warmed up no issue or if I pull the choke out and ride a bit further I can push the choke back in and have no issue.